Largemouth Bass in The Pen (Lafitte)

[Ske1etor]

Just wanted to drop some info for the guys around the westbank area. I went out to The Pen yesterday evening and noticed a rather large amount of Hydrilla and Water Hyacinth floating about. It wasn't the usual dead stuff that gets into the pen and then dies due to the salinity. This was live stuff.

I ended up landing two largemouth in a matter of 30 minutes or so.

I was confused as I have been fishing in this area for years and never caught a Bass in the pen. I did some research and evidently everything changed when they built the freshwater diversion canal from the Mississippi River to the marsh north of Lake Cataouatche. This seems to be pushing the usual salt water line well south of the pen.

Just a heads up for you bestbank bass fisherman or trout fisherman hoping for a bountiful day on the pen. If you are chasing specks, you gotta go farther south.

We also caught a couple black drum and a couple reds but the trout seem to have vanished due to the fresh water.

Hopefully when the river level drops, the salt water will push north and the trout will be easy pickings in the pen... until then...

 

[Dave328]

That's interesting. I don't fish freshwater, but friends do, and I can remember them talk about going to hit the pen and load up. This was maybe 12-13 years ago. That area is constantly changing.

 

[thatchevywoman]

Thanks for the info. How was the depth in there? Every time we go it's way too shallow. Most times you can see bottom.

 

[Ske1etor]

Thanks for the info. How was the depth in there? Every time we go it's way too shallow. Most times you can see bottom.

Yeah, it was very shallow. The tide was rolling out (went again yesterday evening and only hooked one rat red) and I couldn't reach the water from the pier. Had to lay down and stretch to rinse my hands off after releasing that one redfish. The problem with the Pen during low tide is not the bottom of the pen, but the farm equipment that was left out there when it flooded back in the day.

The Hydrilla and Hyacinth was way too thick where we normally fish so we were sort of limited to where we could cast.

It seems like the small (I think 1/4 oz) gold or bronze wobble rite with a red treble hook is the lure of choice out there. That is the only thing we have been getting hits on. I did get one nibble on a silver and black spinnerbait with silver colorado blades but the fish just wouldn't hit it hard enough. With the wobble rite if they get close you can hook 'em. Plus, Trout, Redfish and Bass will hit the Wobble Rite spoons. You never know what you are gonna pull up.